Okay, I hope none of you lost sleep last night wondering what the big difference was between the Type 9A Craftsman Teardrop Ratchet and the Type 9B. Well, hold on to your hats because this is going to be mind blowing, particularly if you’re interested in Craftsman ratchets from this time period. So here it is. The only difference between the Type 9A and Type 9B is the manufacturer’s mark stamped on the handle. The Type 9A is stamped with a “-V-“ and the Type 9B is stamped with “-VV-“. Everything else about the two ratchet Types is exactly the same. So why then did I categorize them as two different Types? Well, it’s my belief that the Type 9A and Type 9B ratchets were made at the same time. If you take a look at Lauver’s Craftsman manufacturers mark Study, you’ll see that he listed the –VV- mark as having started somewhere around 1974 and the –V- as having been in use at that time too. Although this is purely speculation on my part, I think that Sears was obtaining ratchets from two different sources of supply, hence two manufacturers marks. Why? My guess is that Sears needed two ratchet suppliers to keep up with consumer demand.

Here’s my thinking. I know that Craftsman ratchets generally get a bad rap on a lot of tool/garage websites. Agreed, they’re probably not Snap On quality, but they also don’t cost as much either. So, simply based on their affordability and the life time warranty that made Craftsman tools famous, EVERYONE I ever met in life who is a DIYer, shade tree mechanic, or is just a little bit handy around the house has or had a Craftsman Teardrop Ratchet that was manufactured between 1956 and 1993. Even some older pro techs who might not want to admit it, probably have one or two in their box right now. The point is that Sears literally sold millions of these ratchets and keeping up with consumer demand may have required two (or more) suppliers. Feel free to venture a theory of your own. That’s mine, and the reason I believe the Type 9A and Type 9B ratchets were manufactured during the same period of time. Here’s the Type 9B nomenclature lines, and remember, as I stated during the Type 9A post above, this only applies to the ½” and 3/8” drive sizes. The ¼” stayed the same. I have never seen a ¼” drive Craftsman Teardrop Ratchet with a –VV- manufacturer’s mark.

As I’ve said from the start, a lot of the information in this Type Study is conjecture on my part. I will say that in the last few years, I’ve looked at thousands of ratchets. I’m not an expert, but at the same time, this Type Study is based on a ton of observation. I’m always open to differing opinions. My goal is to make this Type Study as accurate as possible. The last photo shows the difference between the Type 9A (on top) and the Type 9B (bottom).

Sorry for the little delay in posting the next ratchet in the Type Study. If any of you have forgotten where we left off, we made to Type 10A. You'll recall that there was a Type 9A and a Type 9B, and it is my opinion that both Types were made at the same time. Hence the "A" and "B" designations. Well, the same goes for the Type 10A and the Type 10B. It is again my opinion that both the Type 10A and the Type 10B were made at the same time and like the Type 9A and Type 9B, both were stamped with -V- and -VV- manufacturers marks respectively. The Type 10A is stamped with the -V- mark. The major change from the Type 9A and Type 9B is the elimination of the oil holes on the Type 10A and the Type 10B. So, going forward, all 1/2" drive and 3/8" drive Craftsman Teardrop Ratchets were produced without oil holes. Also recall that I previously mentioned that the 1/4" drive ratchet never changed during the Types 9A, 9B, 10A, and 10B production run. While the 1/2" and 3/8" ratchets no longer have an oil hole, the 1/4" retains that feature all the way through Type 13. Here's the Type 10A nomenclature:

Okay, let’s keep moving. Up next is the Type 10B. If you’ve been following along, then you can probably guess what I have to say about the next Craftsman Teardrop Ratchet. If you need a refresher, just go back and read the posts dealing with the Type 9A, 9B and 10A. Focus mostly on the Type 9B, because the 10B is exactly the same except for the fact that the oil hole is gone, same as the Type 10A. Again, it’s my belief that the Type 10A and Type 10B were manufactured at the same time. Hence the different manufacturer’s marks. (-V- for Type 10A and –VV- for Type 10B.) I think it had something to do with keeping up with consumer demand. If you go back to the post concerning the Type 4, you’ll see that I went into a little detail concerning the quick release (QR) mechanism. Remember I mentioned the spring-loaded pin that protruded through the socket post when the QR button was pushed? The pin is clearly visible. Well, the Type 10A and Type 10B ratchets are the last versions to be offered with that visible pin. All future Types incorporate an internal pin that is concealed inside the socket post. I’ll bring that feature up when we get to the Type 11. Again, recall that the Type 10B nomenclature lines only pertain to the ½” and 3/8” drive sizes. The ¼” drive remained the same for Types 9A, 9B, 10A and 10B. When we get to Type 11, the ¼” drive size will catch up to its larger siblings....sort of. Here’s the Type 10B nomenclature:

i just saw one of those "flattop" A's when i was putting stuff out at the local Restore the other day, but didn't have time to make other notes about which it was. Guess I'll have to take a closer look on Saturday.

I ran into a friend at an estate sale today, and he showed me what he called "some little funny-looking 3/8" Craftsman ratchet thing".This is what came out of a plastic bucket in the back of his pickup.

I immediately began to drool. Offered him a price for it (he had sold me tools before) but he turned me down flat and refused to make a counteroffer, all the while saying he wanted to sell it. He is not a ratchet guy.

I feel it is hopeless.

Sooooooo frustrating.

Hey Northwoods,

Hang in there, eventually you'll find a good one. I looked for a while before I found the right one for my collection. Shortly thereafter, I found a second one in slightly better condition. They're out there. Be patient and keep hunting!

Jim C.

I figure mine cost $1.68.

When Jim first mentioned collecting v series craftsman tools I thought it was a pretty good idea. My thought was slightly different, I decided to go for the whole 1960 catalog (the catalog that covered 1962, when I was born. )

I lucked into an online estate auction that had a set of craftsman mechanics tools. I was surprised when I got the whole kit for $100.00. The shipping was another $200.00.

I counted everything, but tools like allen wrench sets and 1/4" socket sets, etc. only got counted as 1 item. Dividing $300 by my count gave me around $1.68, as I remember it.

Mine is in great shape, no owners marks, plastic on the handle is clean and bright. I don't think it was very useful, it was only offered in one catalog.

Looks like you found a couple nice ratchets. Your Craftsman is either a Type 9A or Type 10A depending on whether or not it has the oil hole on the top of its head. It was probably manufactured during the 1970s. It’s a good tool. Thanks for the picture.

I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend and went to at least one BBQ with family and/or friends. Okay, so let’s keep this Type Study moving. There are a few things to mention regarding the Type 11 Craftsman Teardrop Ratchets. First, you may have noticed that the ¼” drive has returned. If you recall, the last change to the ¼” drive occurred back at Type 9A and did not change until Type 11, as seen in the photos below. Also take a close look at the socket posts on all three sizes. You should notice that the protruding pin is no longer present and the quick release (QR) mechanism is totally enclosed within the socket post itself. Perhaps that was a step taken to keep crud out of the QR mechanism and prevent jamming/malfunctions. Anyway, that one change may be the reason the model/part numbers changed on all three drive sizes and the small letter “patent pending” stamp returned to the handle.

Somewhere earlier in the thread, I may have mentioned that the ¼” drive ratchet did not always conform to changes made to the ½” and 3/8” ratchets from the same Type. For instance, the Type 11 ratchets will be that last time the model numbers change…… that is for the ½” and 3/8” drive sizes. The ¼” drive will have one more model number change at Type 14. Also, the Type 9A and Type 9B ratchets were the last to have oil holes…… again that is for the ½” and 3/8” drive sizes. Notice how the ¼” drive below still has the oil hole while that particular feature was eliminated from the ½” and 3/8” drives at Type 10A and Type 10B. The ¼” drive will retain the oil hole feature through Type 13.

The Type 11 ratchets depicted below were not available for very long. Based on what I’ve seen in terms of their availability, I’d say they are less common than several of the other Types from the 1980s and early 1990s. The same goes for the Type 12 ratchets that I’ll feature next. Here’s my benchmark. Back in 1982 my dad bought me a set of Craftsman tools. The set came with all three ratchet drive sizes (1/2”, 3/8”, ¼”). Those ratchets, which I still have and use frequently, are what I have classified as Type 13 versions. So my educated guess is that the Type 11 and Type 12 ratchets were available somewhere between about 1979 and 1982. Also, without having taken an official count over the last three years, it’s still my impression that I see a lot more Type 13 ratchets in all three drive sizes, than I see of Type 11 and Type 12 ratchets. Here are the Type 11 nomenclature lines:

Okay, sorry for the delay in posting the next Type in the Craftsman Teardrop Ratchet Type Study. Life is keeping me busy! Don’t worry, there’s only a few more to go and I’ll make sure to post them. The Type 12 ratchets are depicted below. There aren’t any major changes between the Type 11 ratchets (with the microscopic printing on the handles) and the Type 12 version (with the larger, easier to read printing on the handles). Since the printing and model numbers are bigger, I like to refer to the Type 12 ratchets as the “Large Letter Pat. Pending” version. The model numbers on all three drive sizes remained the same, as seen on the previously featured Type 11 ratchets. Also notice that the ¼” drive still retains the oil hole (OH) feature. Here are the nomenclature lines:

I looked at that old Craftsman I had pictured before and it has the oil "hole" (really appears to be a spring loaded bearing in a hole?). Also had a gander at an old Penens (?) i had sitting there. Need to clean it up a bit and get pictures.

Thanks for your patience. I have two more Types to feature. I have a lot going on at work, and plenty of projects to finish at home. I’ve been meaning to post the Type 12 ratchets for more than a week. I just couldn’t get to it. I made it my top priority this morning. Hopefully I’ll get to the Type 13 ratchets by this weekend, but no promises. Thanks again for following along.

As for the Craftsman ratchet you posted a photo of above, well, I’d say it’s a Type 9A, probably manufactured between 1972 and 1976.

We have arrived at Type 13. We’re almost to the end of this thing. Everyone still awake? Before I get into the particulars of the Type 13 ratchets, I want to say that the three ratchets depicted below are my everyday, go to, ratchets. Back in the early 1980s, right around 1982 or 1983, I started getting interested in old cars. I didn’t have any tools to speak of, and found myself borrowing them from my uncle, who was a hardcore “car guy.” Anyway, my dad took up my interest and bought me a set of Craftsman tools. The set came with the three ratchets shown. Since then, I’ve restored and/or tinkered with several old cars, and numerous old woodworking machines, not to mention having engaged in countless DIYer projects around the house using those three ratchets. I find myself using the 3/8" drive the most. They’ve held up beautifully, and at the same time, I’ve been careful with them too. I use a breaker bar routinely and when I’m working over concrete, I spread quilted movers blankets on the floor. I’ve dropped these ratchets many times, but the thick blankets have protected them. Several years ago I stripped the gear on my ½” drive applying too much torque on a carriage bolt nut. It was a job for a breaker bar, but I was too lazy to walk back up to the garage to get one. Lesson learned.

The Type 13 ratchets are very common, leading me to think they were offered for several years, starting in the early 1980s and running to about 1985, give or take. Notice the ¼” drive still has that oil hole feature. One minor detail that was added to all three drive sizes, starting with the Type 13 ratchets was that little “nub” at the twelve o’clock position on the directional lever. I have no idea why that’s there, but all original Type 13 and Type 14 ratchets, in all three drive sizes, have it. (See last photo below) Originally equipped Type 12 and earlier versions did not have that nub. Here are the nomenclature lines: